Power-driven chute-operating mechanism



Y s; SHAFEMH.l A PowER'nmvEN CHUTE OPERATING MECHAMSM.

APPLICATION FILE) JAN.20 192i. I 1,415,411, y A Patented May 9, 1922.

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UNITED STATES.. PATENT SAMUEL SHAFER, JR., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO CHAIN BELT COMPANY, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

POWER-DRIVEN CHUTE-OPERATING MECHANISMC.v

Specification of Letters Patent.

IPatented May 9, 1922.

Application filed January 20, 1921. Serial No. 438,801.

Driven Chute-Operating Mechanism, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a motor driven, as distinguished from a manually operated, mechanism for operating a chute through which material is passed. An example of this type of apparat-us is illustrated in U. S. Letters Patent #1,230,731 to C. l/V. Levalley.

The invention has for its object to simplify, improve, and make compact, mechamsm of this kind.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is av side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention devised for operating the discharge chute of a concrete mixing machine.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings A designates a rotated drum of a concrete mixing machine and B the discharge chute thereof. This chute is similar to that represented in U. S. Letters Platent #1,243,614 to C. 1V. Levalley, and consists of an inner section-b and an outer section b', these sections being united by pivotal or hinge connections cl. The invention is applicable, however,'to other forms of chutes, whether used for delivering material from or to a. receptacle, of which that designated A in the accompanying drawings is but a type. -The chute is supported by arms fixed to a shaft 14 that extends across the machine in rear of the drum, and preferably above the discharge opening a therein. p shaft. which may be the shaft from which the drum is driven, and which, therefore, turns whenever the machine is in opera-tion. Secured upon this shaft is a spur gear wheel 1 that meshes with a pinion 3 fastened on to the driven countershaft, 4. 7 designates a worm, preferably loose upon the shaft 4, but adapted to be connected therewith through a clutch the shifting member of which is designated 5, and meshing with the worm wheel 8 mounted on a short shaft 9. This member 5 is keyed to the shaft,4 and is movable, longitudinally, thereon so that the countershaft 4 and the parts which it 2 designates a power.

` drives may be connected with the source of power at the will of the operator. The

clutch member 5 is shifted through the in ,strumentality of a manually controlled lever 6 and yoke or shifting* fork 18, carried by a shaft 17.

The shaft 9 also carries a cam, consisting of a disk 10, in diamet-rically opposite portions of the vperiphery of which are formed the recesses 22, 22,-and a relatively short crank arm 11. The latter is connected by a link 12 with a longer crank arm 13 on the shaft 14 that carries the chute B. Link 12 is adjustable in order to control the position of the chute.

16 designates an arm extending from the shaft 17 and carrying at'its outer end a roller 19 adapted to engage with the eriphery of the cam 10. The relation of t e arm `16 to the clutch shift-ing fork 18'is such that when the roller 19 occupies one of the recesses 22 the movable clutch is shifted to disconnect the chute operating mechanism from the source of power, but when such roller engages with the high peripheral portions of the cam between the recesses, the clutch is moved to connect the worm 7 with the source of power. A spring 20 interposed between the fork 18 and some fixed support tends to hold the roller in engagement with the periphery ofthe cam 10. The mechanism described, except the levers and pinion 3, are mounted in and enclosed by a. housing 21 which is supported by the framework of the `machine to which thea-pparatus is applied.

In the operation of a concrete mixing machine the chute B is maintained at rest for certain periods of timelin eitherone Aor the other of two positions. One of them, represented in full lines in Fig. 1, is that occupied when vmaterial is being discharged from the mixing drum; while the other, represented in dotted lines in the same view, is the position occupied while the chute is inactive, and during the time the batch of Aconcrete is being mixed but not discharged. In stating the operation of the apparatus it will be assumed that the chute is in the inactive position and that the contents of the drum, having been properly mixed, is to be discharged; The attendant moves the lever 6, or clutch shifter, and connects the chutemoving mechanism with the source of power. This causes the shaft 9 and the parts it carries to rotate and the chute to be moved to the full line position in Fig. 1. ln shifting the lever G as `just described the arm 16 is moved so as to carry the roller 19 out of the recess in which it was resting, and, as soon as rotation of this shaft begins, a high por# tion of the cam 1() comes opposite the roller and the operator may then release the lever, which is held in the position to which it has been moved by the cam until the other recess Q2 comes opposite the roller 19 when the spring Q() will shift the clutch shifting fork 18 and cause the roller to drop into the recess These movements disconnect the gearing from the power shaft and at the same time lock the shaft 9 against rotation. As has been stated, the crank 11 on the shaft 9 is shorter than the crank 13 on shaft 14, with the result that the rotation of the shaft 9 causes an oscillation of the shaft 14 and the chute which it carries. Vhen the chute is to be moved to its outer or inactive position was thrown by hand.

the operator again shifts the lever 6 to connect the shaft 14 with the source of power, whereupon operations, similar' to those that have been described, take placeexcept that the half revolution then given to the shaft' 9 causes the chute to be moved from its innerl to its outer position.

There are several advantages 1nc1dent to 'the mechanism that has been described,v

amongst which may be mentioned its compactness and simplicity, the fact that it may be easily applied to various sizes and types of machines, the fact that a reversing of the rotation of the shaft 9 is not required in order to effect the two movements of the chute; and the fact that safety stops are not required, for if the spring 2O should break or fail to function the chute would merely continue to oscillate until the clutch vWhat l claim is 1. A chute, a shaft by which it is supported, a second shaft, connections between these shafts whereby on the rotation of the latter'the chute-carrying shaft is oscillated, power transmitting gearing, including a clutch, for driving the saidV second shaft, a shifter for operating the clutch and a cam arranged to actuate the clutch shifter to automatically disconnect the power at predetermined positions of the chute-carrying shaft. 4

A chute, a shaft by which it is supported, a second shaft, connections between these shafts whereby on the rotation of the latter the chute-carrying shaft is oscillated, power transmitting gearing, including a clutch, for driving the said second shaft, a shifter for operating the clutch and a cam arranged to actuate the clutch shifter to automatically disconnect the power at each oscillation of the chute-carrying shaft.

3. A chute, al shaft by which it is supported, a second shaft, connections between such shafts whereby onthe rotation of the latter the chute-carrying shaft is oscillated, power transmitting gearing, including a clutch for driving the second shaft, a cam and a'manually controlledclutch shifter having an arm actuated by the cam to throw the clutch and disconnect the power at each oscillation of the chute-carrying shaft.

4. A chute, a shaft by which it is supported, a second shaft, power transmitting gearing for driving the second shaft including acounter shaft, a'clutch and worm gearing between the countershaft and said second shaft, connections `between the said second shaft and the chute-carrying shaft arranged to cause oscillation of the latter when the said second shaft is rotated, a clutch shifter having a manually controlled handle and an arm` a cam with which the arm of the clutch shifter engages, the cam being arranged to actuate the clutch shifter to disconnect power at the completion of each oscillation of the chute-carrying shaft, andsiiMUEL 'snaren'. JR. 

